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Much of my research tends to extend no further than my keyboard. I don't believe in "writing what you know." Not exclusively, anyway. It just doesn't leave much room for the imagination, and risks clogging a story.

Time and laziness kick in, too, but I also think human nature, kindness and evil are the same whether you're in Bel Air, Buenos Aires or Bow. With this in mind, here's how I spent much of my time in the least glamorous of the above locations:

Street runners:

Subterranea Britannica
A society devoted to the study and investigation of man-made, underground places.

Wikipedia: Street Magic
Search for 'street magic' online, and chances are you'll be swamped with offers for books that 'reveal all'. Ignore them, and check out this page, with links.

Parkour (street running)
Official site for Sebastien Foucan, godfather of street running - the fine art of chucking yourself around town without touching the ground. Or something.

Superhuman:

Megatokyo
Online Manga serial featuring two hardcore American gamers, stuck in Tokyo with no money.

Infiltration
A comprehensive catalogue of all the places in cities around the world that you're not supposed to visit.


Columbia Road:

Earth Cam
Your webcam window on the world. Chill out with the view over a Californian vineyard, or thrill to unsuspecting wildebeest getting jumped by badassed leopards.

Joystick 101
Webzine that manages to make gaming sound like the kind of philosophical pursuit Plato might have followed, had Sony invented Playstation a bit sooner.



Man or Mouse:

Tony Curtis Virtual Gallery
A legend whose absence looms large in the novel.

Cyrano de Bergerac
The orginal text. Read it and weep.

DrinkBoy
Vodka Gimlets. Highballs. Frozen Daquaris. Drink like a florist and dealer.

Viagra Resources
Your one-stop Tool Higher centre

TheSite.org
The finest advice resource in cyberspace, and kind host for this site.

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